Gut Health & Why It’s So Important

Your body is full of trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. They are collectively known as the microbiome.

While some bacteria are associated with disease, others are extremely important for your immune system, heart, weight and many other aspects of health.

As you grow, your gut microbiome begins to diversify, meaning it starts to contain many different types of microbial species. Higher microbiome diversity is considered good for your health.

Interestingly, the food you eat affects the diversity of your gut bacteria.

Upset stomach, craving foods high in sugar, lots of weight fluctuations, sleep disturbances and chronic fatigue, skin irritation, and autoimmune conditions can all be signs that you may need to be spending more time improving your gut health.

Here are some easy ways to make your gut a little healthier:

Sleep

Poor quality of sleep or not enough sleep can have serious impacts on your gut health, which can contribute to more sleep issues. A good rule is 7-8 hours a sleep a night, or something that makes you feel good. If you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep but don’t want to take any prescription sleep medications, an all-natural supplement called “SLEEP”, formulated by BalanceDocs, is a perfect option to give you that undisturbed rest you desire without the hangover feeling after

Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the mucosal lining of the intestines, as well as on the balance of good bacteria in the gut. Staying hydrated is the simplest and most important way to increase your gut health. Looking for an extra way to get your weekly hydration in? Try an IV infusion with vitamins, you will never feel better!

Change your Diet

Diet is a huge factor when it comes to the health of our gut. When we eat poorly, we notice our weight changes, our clothes don’t fit as well, and our energy is lower. We rarely think about the consequences our gut and digestive health is experiencing. Eliminating processed, high-sugar, and high-fat foods that you eat can contribute to better gut health. Also, eating plenty of plant-based foods and lean protein can positively impact your gut. Another important factor is increasing the amount of fiber in your diet!

Manage your stress

Stress: a culprit and root cause of so many disease and illness. Evaluate any disease process in the world and stress will be one of the top ten contributing factors in almost every single one of them. Ironically, it is one of the areas people tend to ignore the most – thinking that if they can work on all the other areas of their life enough, stress won’t get them! Unfortunately, it does, and it will. Stress affects nearly every system in our body, including your gut. If you are looking to lower your stress, experiment with meditation, walking, getting a massage, spending time with friends or family, diffusing essential oils, decreasing caffeine intake, laughing, yoga, or having a pet.

Take a probiotic

Adding a probiotic supplement to your diet may be a great way to improve your gut health. Not all probiotic supplements are high quality or will actually provide benefit. It’s best to consult your healthcare provider when choosing a probiotic or prebiotic supplement to ensure the best health benefit. Our top pick is the Integrative Therapeutics Probiotic Pearls.